Collapsible hat and cap.



No. 836,899. PATEN-TED NOV. 27, 1906. W. H. SMITH, GOLLAPSIBLE HAT AND GAP.

APPLICATION FILED-MAR. 5, 1906- vwe m for,

F I G 5 I zmf/adfard 19/77127/ 61 than;

.UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE. WILLIAM HOWARD SMITH, OF MORTON, PENNSTLVANIA.

COLLAPSIBLE H-AT AND GAP.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov; 27,1906.

- Application filed March 5,1906. Serial No. 304,404.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, WILLIAM HOWARD SMITH, a citizen of the United States, residing at Morton, in the county of Delaware and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in C01- lapsible Hats and Caps, of Which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in collapsible hats or caps of the type desig nated crush-hats, and it consists in the constructions, combinations, and arrangements herein described and claimed.

An object of my invention is to provide a simple and inexpensive collapsible means capable of being conveniently shifted instantly from closed to open position, and vice versa, and constructed to be firmly held in its shifted position.

A further object of my invention is to provide a durable collapsible frame which can be readily applied to all forms of hats and caps.

In the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this application, and in which similar referencesymbols indicate corresponding parts in the several views, Figure 1 is a perspective view, partially in section, illustrating one embodiment of my invention applied to a mortar-board cap. Fig. 2 is a plan view showing the collapsible frame of Fig. 1 in its closed position. Fig. 3 is a detail perspective view on a larger scale, clearly showing the means for pivotally connecting the supporting members to the shiftable band. Fig. 4 is a side elevation, on a reduced scale, illustrating rather diagrammatically the shape given to the shiftable band. Fig. 5 is a front elevation of the hat shown in Fig. 1, and Fig. 6 is a front View of the shiftable band employed in Figs. 4 and 5.

Referring to the drawings, 1 indicates a base formedof metal or other suitable rigid material and provided with a plurality of guides 2. This base is preferably formed with a series of perforations 3 for convenience in stitching it to the hat-crown. The outer portions of the guides 2 are provided with inclined faces 1 and apertures 5 fordirecting the supporting members 6, which slidably engage said guides.

The members 6 are shown pivotally se cured to eyes 7 on a flexible band 8, thereby enabling said band to be shifted into open or closed position by sliding the supporting members in their guides 2.

A spring" 9 is suitably secured, as by a rivet 10, to each member 6'in positionto engage a flattened face 1'1 on the corresponding eye 7 for yieldingly locking said members 6 when the band 8 is in its open position, a recess 12 being formed in the" edge of the band 8 for receiving the springs 9 when said band isin its closed position.

Any desired number ofthe rivets 10 can be provided with projecting heads for engaging the inner walls of theapertures .5 to lock the members when the band 8 is in its closed position, as shown especially in Fig. 2.

I find in practice that the flexible band 8 and the supporting members 6 are most ad-- vantageously formed of resilient material, and I prefer to form these elements 6 and 8 of light steel bands.

In the employment of my invention the base 1 is suitably secured, as by stitching 13, to the hatcrown, the entire frame being concealed'by the material of the hat-crown and the lining thereof, which are attached to the adjustable band 8, as shown in Fig. 1.

I have shown my invention applied to a mortar-board hat and with the flexible band 8 shaped to conform more or less to the edge of the crown, which is attached thereto. In this style of hat it will be noted that the back portion of the crown is deeper than the front portion, the supporting members 6 at the rear of the frame being made longer than the corresponding member at the front portion to accommodate such inequality in the height of the hat-crown.

I have illustrated a preferred embodiment of my invention; but obviously it could be adapted to any other form of hat or cap, and many changes could be made within the spirit and scope of my invention.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a collapsible hat-frame, the combination of a base, guides carried thereby, a band, and members carriedby said band and slidably engaging said guides for shifting the band into either open or closed position, sub- IIO , I nation of a base, guides carried thereby, a band, members carried by said band and slidably engaging said guides for shifting the band into either open or closed position, and means for automatically locking said members when the band has been shifted into either'its open or closed position, substantially as described.

4. In a collapsible hat-frame, the combi-v nation of a base, guides carried thereby, a

.band, members pivoted to said band and slidably engaging said guides for shifting the band into either open or closedposition, and

resilient means carried by said members for nation of a base, guides carried thereby, a

band, members pivoted to said band and 20 band has been shifted into open position, and 2 5 means carried by said members for engagmg said guides to automatically lock the parts When the band is shifted into closed position, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature 0 in presence of two Witnesses.

WILLIAM HOWARD SMITH. v

Witnesses WILI-IELMINA YOUNG, MAY J. SMITH. 

